Portable fire-escape



(No Model.)

W. E. WABNITZQ PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 588,889. Patented Aug. 24,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM E. WABNQI'IMZ, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,889, dated August24, 1897.

Application filed May 11, 1897. Serial Nd. 636,018. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. VVABNITZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentu'cky,have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in PortableFire-Ilscapes; and I do declare the following to be a building and reachthe ground in safety.

NVith this object in view the invention con sists of certain features ofconstruction and combination of parts which will be herein after fullyset forth and claimed,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved fire-escape, showing it in position for use. Fig. 2 isa topplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, and Fig. 4is a detail view of one of the jointed lever-arms.

In said drawings, 1 denotes two frames, each of which consists of twobars a b, pivoted together at their upper ends by rivets 2.

Rollers 3 have their stud-shafts 4 j ournaled in boxes 5, secured to theinner edges of the frames and are adapted to engage a metallic tape orwire 6 and by friction prevent the too rapid descent of the frame withits supporting-weight.

7 denotes guide-plates arranged above and below the rollers and whichserve to guide the tape to the rollers free of ourls,twists, or kinks.

8 denotes. jointed levers, one being secured to a pivot-bolt 8,connecting the lower ends of pa'rts a a of one frame and extending overthe pivot-bolt 8", connecting the ends of parts b b of the other frame,and the other secured to the pivot-bolt 8", and extending over thepivot-bolt 8 These levers are provided with notches 9, which are adaptedto seat upon said bolts and are also provided with graduated notches ontheir upper edges for a purpose hereinafter to appear.

10 denotes a sling or strap which is adapted to be fastened around thebody of a person and having eyes at its ends engaged in the graduatednotches of the jointed levers.

. In use one end of the tape is secured to a window-frame or to someobject in the room, a sling or strap is passed around the body of theperson, and if the person weighs, say, one hundred and fifty pounds heengages the loops at the ends of the sling or strap with the notchesindicated by that number. This is a wise provision, for should a heavyperson attempt to descend and the loops of the sling be engaged with thetoggle-levers at their extreme outer ends it is evident that said leverswould draw the sections of the frame together and cause the rollerscarried by said sections to so tightly clamp the tape as to prevent thedescent of the person.

By graduating the jointed levers a person may engage the ends of thesling with them at points corresponding to his weight, so that should aperson weighing-two hundred and fifty pounds attempt to descend he maydo so with as much ease as a person of a considerably lighter weight. i

To regulate the speed or rapidity of the descent, I provide a brakemechanism which consists in pivoting to one of the frames a rack-bar 11and having its other end projecting across and seated upon astud 12,projecting from the side of the other frame.

Journaled upon a stud 13 is a gear-wheel14, which engages the rack-barand is provided with a crank 15, by means of which it may be rotated andcause the sections of the frame to be drawn together, and thus increasethe friction of the rollers upon the tape.

7 Although I have specifically described the construction and relativearrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire tobe confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made asclearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from thespirit thereof.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape, the combination with two frames pivoted togetherand provided with cooperating friction-rollers, of jointed leversconnected to the lower-ends of said frame and provided with notches toengage the bolts of the opposite frames, a tape extending between saidrollers, and a sling or strap adapted to be connected to the outer freeends of said jointed levers, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with two frames pivoted togetherand provided with cooperating friction-rollers, of jointed leversconnected to the lower ends of said frame, and provided with notches toengage the bolts of the opposite frames, a tape eX tending between saidrollers, and a sling or strap adapted to be connected to the outer freeends of said jointed levers, the edges of said levers being providedwith graduated notches, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination with two frames pivoted togetherand provided with cooperating friction-rollers, of jointed leversconnected to the lower ends of said frame, and provided with notches toengage the bolts of the opposite frames, a tape extending between saidrollers, a sling or strap adapted to be connected to the outer free endsof said jointed levers, and a rack-bar pivoted to one of said frames andprojecting across and supported upon the lug extending from the otherframe, a wheel engaging said rack, and a crank for rotating said wheelto spread or draw together the sections of the frame, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

VILLIAM E. VABNITZ.

Vitnesses:

P. MELCHER, CHAS. A. SCHAEFER.

